Dear Friends.......
I was wondering why noone posted about Chester Thompson yet! What i like most on him, is the way he moves around the drumset, how he hits his cymbals, his grip.........really.......highly proffessional, musical too............consistent playing, he shakes his toms when he hits them....outsh..........

Glad someone put a post on him so I probably can get some answers....I realy suspect this guy to be an excellent drummer but unfortunately I can't find an album / video or other work besides genesis/collins to get a better idea.

Glad someone put a post on him so I probably can get some answers....I realy suspect this guy to be an excellent drummer but unfortunately I can't find an album / video or other work besides genesis/collins to get a better idea.

can anyone help ?

Chester also played with Frank Zappa. Check out his web site www.chesterthompson.com
.........and..........he is really an excellent drummer..........so unique.......

So to those interested (maybe it's cooler than I think hehe) ... I'm kindof the third generation of Chester Thompson, as in my (monster) teacher was taught by Chester! Truthfully, I haven't heard much of Chester's playing though ... I don't any Zappa or Weather Report with him on it ... but they are on my to-buy list!

So to those interested (maybe it's cooler than I think hehe) ... I'm kindof the third generation of Chester Thompson, as in my (monster) teacher was taught by Chester! Truthfully, I haven't heard much of Chester's playing though ... I don't any Zappa or Weather Report with him on it ... but they are on my to-buy list!

Your teacher must be very proud of having been taught by Chester. He unfortunately/ or fortunately (for him) spent his last 20 years playing with Phil Collins and Genesis. He's a very long time companion of Phil. Perhaps he made his choice somewhere, knowing that playing simpler but for thousands just brings more money. I respect that and would do the same. But still you can hear his personal mark on Collins songs when you hear him play. I even heard that he really had to get rid off his fusion-swinging style at the begining when he started to play with Phil, since he would play simpler. And more......not to subestimate, the British musicstyle had nothing to do with the American by that time and he's really like a Chameleon, he fitts himself into each situation.

Hardly anyone has commented on Chester its unbelievable what an awesome drummer. The Genesis live DVD "The way we walk" is unreal this guy has some of the best coordination ever he does an insane drum duet with Phil Collins and i can honestly say ive never heard drumming like it no one has co-ordination like him!

Hardly anyone has commented on Chester its unbelievable what an awesome drummer. The Genesis live DVD "The way we walk" is unreal this guy has some of the best coordination ever he does an insane drum duet with Phil Collins and i can honestly say ive never heard drumming like it no one has co-ordination like him!

If anyone has the chance, check out the Serioulsly Live DVD in Berlin, you get there the 3rd angle option where the camera focuses ONLY on Chester........through many songs, and we are taling here about 8-10 Min. songs............it's just wonderful to see his concentration and his hits on toms............just amazing and wanting to play like him..........

If anyone is still not convinced that Chester is one of the best in the business, listen to "Inca Roads" from One Sixe Fits All. I've never heard anyone (besides Vinnie, maybe) feel so at home playing in 7/16 at breakneck speed! I actually got to see video footage of the song being played not too long ago. It has Chester playing a HUGE Ludwig Octa-Plus set with a million single-headed toms, 3 crashes, and hi-hats.
One thing that I must mention is the invaluable contributions of percussionist Ruth Underwood, who was also in Zappa's band at the time. This woman must be seen to be believed! She does the job of about 5 standard orchestral percussionists all at the same time, and with a smile on her face!

In the 1980s the Paiste Cymbal Company released a series of plastic discs featuring a minute or two from select Paiste Artists demonstrating their current cymbal set-ups. Chester Thompson was one,Bill Bruford was another. Chester played some great grooves accompanied by one of the Sound Creation gongs. His playing was impeccable,and despite the fact that he was playing a drum solo,not once did he sound "show-offy." I can see why Phil Collins chose him for Genesis. The Paiste prommotion discs were distributed by Modern Drummer magazine and were meant to be thrown away after afew plays,but I kept mine and played them over the air on a radio show that I hosted at the time.I wish the drum and cymbal companies would do that kind of promotion again.

I sure wish I was! I've been a C.T. fan ever since I saw the " Mama" tour back in '83. I have his instructional video and enjoy learning things from it. I did a search on Google video for Steve Hackett and guess who was playing drums on it. Yup, live in Tokyo in 1996 I believe. He's always been a gentleman every time I've heard him speak, a real classy guy.

I was lucky enough to take lessons with Chester for about 2 months at forks drum closet. It's honestly scary how good he is. He can play everything open handed and crossed no problem at all. Speaking of which, I need to go practice....

Chester is a bit of a "secret". Not many people know him but he's a very good drummer.
Here is a very interesting page (sorry German) about his 1992 Sonor kit which he used with Phil Collins on the But Seriously tour (1990) and Genesis We can't dance tour: